India, Japan Coast Guards conclude exercise

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, Jan 31, IRNA -- Coast Guards of India and Japan concluded an exercise near Chennai simulating to counter maritime threats in Asia-Pacific region and to formulate a cooperative approach to address these concerns.

The mock drill was held during the visit of a high-level Japanese delegation led by Admiral Hisayasu Suzuki, the Commandant, Japan Coast Guard (JCG), for the XI High Level Meeting and Combined Exercises with the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), the Defence Ministry said in a release.

The Memorandum of Cooperation between Coast Guards of India and Japan encompasses issues of maritime search and rescue, combating marine pollution, technical assistance for responding to natural disasters and exchange of information regarding crimes at sea, including smuggling and illicit trafficking, it said.

The first combined exercises involving the Coast Guards of India and Japn were carried out in November 2000 off Chennai.

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